Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-12-11

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aEK*EE &nd most NanennsfSas Qrn4T.1.
y kne &nnin CARA NnlIav A a. fnaleMs
= tow v cen f1prnYizHd. IN milfch ~
lHeNa 4 nnMlhef IL hxA TIE Feel
e i e1Fneered b fwo nann uhe. ~
ne use q Labor-saEing apriinnc9s. a1s
4n1e - gather many tors u fruit n :
aaE. = ca. e. zpEon u carried n1DnR.
With IS eakily afiua1e1 about tie
tzunk q tie tree Is Z nIi&he n1sraf1on
/ aboss k1s Froand. 1G4 ; slahginR %
4lnoas Win on4 sd q eu.f oepfssSsd
a1zd PAT uger he hnzns u tie wnRnn.
= he one nan man pula1es tie nrron.
Ne other Erasps the free and eiris & 4
lev We rona shakea. In fhis manner
Al he lrzia that i ripe enoaxh e dry
e detached and fails "a the apron, ians-
~ he unrlpa ffuit 10 re Rnsh1rea laser
o.. A. she fsuit falls Il rolls down he
zAanllag canvas and than into the bcx
- The wOEk0l gAtharing de kruig0n
single tree b very quick tome the
canvas . iaossned and the NEXT tres q
ettended 70. So rnpsdly 10 he opera
tson performed that two men CAR gath
e. from eight % ten tons 81 ffuil daily,
and q vii 81 be the proper deEfee q
r1peuesz. Having been Tins expedi-
tlousiy gathered, The fruit 4 tAkSn %
toe packing hoHse and q theEe put
thpsush Q machine similar % 4 grain
cleaner. A number q screana, with
me<hes q different siE1s, b provided,
and the fruit i poured On thsn That
which vii 50 through the smallest
meshes ts graded the l0Wczt, and 20 on
uni1 The fruit Is divided INTO I've or six
gEsdes, according ~ sine. Al one end
e TIE -o0m are tHo immensec Mldfonn,
SIDE 81 side. one full Of boiling Ire and
the other q hot clean water. To q 4
srane overhead Is fastened a large wire /
basket and this 10 filled with fruit,
which = gently dipped into che boiling
iye and lnen swung around and inn
nleFsed Ia the h0t water The fruit i /
Ehen spread on trays and put either on
afye or exposed ~ the 81 q to BE-
cured. This process takes far less tine /
than has generally been supposed 70
Be necessary. Too frequently Il s cus-
lomafy 70 expose the iruit % heat a.
long Is any moisture remains. This
Is not only unnecessary bat 8 iniur7.
Gus as wei. II is only essential that
the surplus Juice shall be eVnp0rnted. |
leaving the desl1 inOist and dessicat.d. /
The reduction in weight as between he /
fresh and dried fruit is such that two
and half pounds OF the former viii /
make one Of the latter. But little time
Is consumed in the actual drying, and 1
the pIunes ara brought back % the IL
packing house for further treatment, 1
What follows Is only a matter Of con-
lecture, as the secret Of the finishing 1
touches was obtained at great cost and 4
. most religiously guarded BY those /
having knowledge thereof. Whaieyor
its nature, the result only Is known,
When the fruit emergas from this Sc
cfet process Il Is carefully packed IN /
large TIN cans, preitily labeled, and Is /
then ready for market. IL viii kee. 1
IN th . condition for a. indefinite
Iinte, and makes q most delicious arti-
Gle OF food either cooked or eaten Is q
CONNECTION.
So far as known, there Il but one
IN the section mentionedI
VII has been eIterprising enough 70
master all the details Of the process,
and the result d that the product OF
bis orchard comm nds q very much |
higher price than any other. Not
long since he received an offer to con-
tract his entire crop for i've consecu-
tive years az LIZ centa per pound.
The offer was refused and this SEA on
the crop from his orchard has been
sold for l25< cents per pound al
ar uDd. This means an income ef
400 to $500 an acre, two-thirds OF
which Is net.
What Que man has done anothsrc can
Is easily perform. The busineas Il
raising pruues in this State Is a. yet
only In It's infancy. To one who has
never known any other than tie bulk
Il the i'm orted fruit, unaepetixing In
carel ssly dried and nloret
afelessly racked, lasts Of The good
California prunes from an experienceg
packer Is like q revelation. These
pTusles are, In fact, worthy TO beFanhedl
With CONNECTIONS and crystalined fruits.
They are appetixing In appearance and
ieiiciou 70 the taste, and IL Is no won
der that they command so high price.
prune-growers are Of the
opinion that there is q wider range Of
.efritory on this coast adapted the
successful culture Of thai fruit than to
Almost any ether. They recommend
Is planting, however, in conjunction
with the olive, Is the soil aud climate
hat are adapted to the one are also
favorable TO the other, while the
dive crop requires attention only at .
season when the other fruit Is out Of
.he way.
So far, too, no frcit has yet been
.ried In California which Is 80 tree
rom the attacks q insect pests; fact
which makes the prune particularly q |
iayorite with many who have had lrou-
pie and naet with heavy losses from
hat cause. There Is no tree which
an be brought 10 maturity with 70
title expense as the prune; no fruit
AN be Tried and prepared for market
my more expeditiously or inexpen-
lively, and, wheR prop. rly banded,
40 fruit brings q better return. All
Ihings considered, then, an ofckard Of
prunes seems to be pretty good tAiug
% invest in